Accordion



July 6, 1937. so 2,085,771

ACCORDION Filed May 22, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l III-THY i A [j u July 6, 1937. M SOPRANE 2,085,771

ACCORDION Filed May 22, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FE 2U? Patented July 6, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE '7 Claims.

My invention relates to accordions, particularly to so-called piano accordions, the object being to provide an improved control for modifying the tone for desired coloring or refining of the music.

In the ordinary construction of piano accordions, the wind or reed chests have perforated covers usually lined by gauze through which the music emerges. It is sometimes desirable to mod ify the tone of the music to give more color or refinement thereto, particularly the tone from the reeds controlled by the piano keyboard, and therefore, in accordance with my invention, I provide the cover for the treble chest with controllable outlet means which means may be readily operable by the hand which plays the keyboard. I preferably provide the cover with out let control means such as louvres and actuating means therefor operable by push buttons or other means within easy reach of the hand moving over the keyboard.

My invention is shown incorporated in the drawings, in which drawings,

Figure l is a front view of an accordion;

Figure 2 is an end view of the accordion;

Figure 3 is an enlarged inner side view of the cover structure for the treble reed chest, showing the arrangement of the louvres and the actuating means therefor;

Figure 4 is a section on plane IV-IV Figure l and IV-IV Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a section similar to Figure 4 showing the louvres in open position; and

Figure 6 is a section on plane VIVI Figure 3.

The accordion shown comprises the treble reed chest l9 and the base reed chest Ii connected by a bellows l2, and the keyboard structure l3 extending at an angle from the chest lil. Extending across the treble chest l9 adjacent to the tone outlet [4 thereof is the wall which on its inner side supports the reed structures communicating with the ports [6 in the wall for control by the valves ll at the ends of the arms l8 extending from the keys I9 of the keyboard structure IS, the valves being normally spring pressed against the front face of the wall IE to close the reed ports or apertures.

The cover structure C for the outlet end of the treble chest I0 comprises a front wall 20, end walls 2| and 22 and the outer side wall 23. The cover structure may be made of light, preferably non-metallic material, such as rubber or phenol condensate products. The top or front wall of the cover is cut out to leave the two rectangular openings 24-45 with the intervening portion 26. For controlling the passageway through the openings 24-25, suitable closure means are provided. As shown, a plurality of louvres 21? are provided for the opening 24 and similar louvres Zl are provided for the opening 25, the louvres extending longitudinally of the openings.

Along their inner edges the louvres are secured to hinge or pivot rods 28 and, as shown, a single hinge rod may be provided for each set of longitudinally aligned louvres 21 and 2?. At their ends, the rods are shown jcurnalled between blocks 29 secured to the inner side of the cover top wall 29 adjacent the end walls thereof, and the rods are held in position between the blocks by strips 39 extending across the blocks and secured thereto. The louvres, like the cover structure body, may be of light material such as rubber, or phenol condensate products.

Midway between its ends each of the hinge rods 28 is deflected at right angles to form an actuating arm 3!, and adjacent to the arms the rods have bearing in notches provided in the strips 32 extending across the inner side of the cover top along the sides of the intermediate cover portion 26, and the rods are held in the slots by plates 33.

Secured to and depending from the top part 26 is a wall 34. A slide member 35, which may be a length of angle bar, has longitudinal slots 35 through its vertical leg, through which slots, guide pins or screws 31 extend and are secured in the wall 34, the slide member being thus supported for sliding or shifting movement transversely of the cover structure. The horizontal leg of the slide member has slots 38 through which the arms 3| of the hinge rod 38 extend so that as the slider is shifted the louvres will be swung to closed or open position as shown in Figures 4 and 5 respectively.

On a wall 39 depending from the cover top 20 is pivoted a T-lever 40 by means of a screw or pin 4|, push buttons or keys 42 and 42 being pivoted to the ends of the top of the lever and projecting through openings 43 and 43' in the cover top for depression by the fingers of the player to rotate the T-lever, these push buttons or keys being close to the inner end of the fingerboard keys l9 so as to be in easy reach of the fingers of the hand playing the keys.

The depending leg of the T-lever has a longitudinal slot 44 in its lower end to receive one end of a bell crank lever 45 pivoted on the horizontally deflected lower end 39 of the wall 39, the

other end of the lever having a slot 46 receiving Ell a pin 4'! extending from the arm 48 secured to the forward end of the slide member 35. With the arrangement described, when the key 42 is depressed the louvres will be in closing position as shown in Figure 4, and when the key 42' is depressed the louvres will be in open position as shown in Figure 5. In order to hold the actuating structure in adjusted position, holding means may be provided. As shown the lever 49 may be provided with a projection or teat 49 to be swung by the lever into depressions 5B in the wall 39, and there may be a number of such depressions so that the louvres may be yieldably held after having been swung either to fully closed or fully open position or to some intermediate position by manipulation of the keys 42 and 42.

The louvres or shutters, which are preferably of non-metallic material, may be strengthened against warping by securing metal angle plates 5| around their free edges, and metal plates 52 may also be secured along their hinged edges.

The controllability of the tone outlet of the treble reed chest adds a very desirable feature to piano accordions. By the opening or closing of the louvres or shutters to a greater or less degree, the tone may be more or less muted, and the tone may be made more colorful or refined as desired.

I have shown a practical and efficient embodiment of the various features of my invention but I do not desire to be limited to the exact structure, arrangement and operation shown and described as changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an accordion of the class described, a cover for the tone outlet end of the reed chest, a plurality of aligned shutters controlling the passageway through said cover, hinge rods for said shutters, arms extending from said hinge rods, a slider member on the cover having engagement with said arms, and manually operable actuating means for said slider member for effecting sliding thereof and swing of said arms for rotation of said hinge rods and movement of said shutters to open or closed position.

2. In a piano accordion, a plurality of aligned shutters for controlling the tone outlet from the treble reed chest, hinge rods for said shutters having arms extending therefrom, a slider member having engagement with said arms to effect swing thereof and rotation of said hinge rods for opening or closing movement of said shutters, lever means connected with said slide member for effecting sliding movement thereof, and manually operable keys connected with said lever means for actuating the same, said keys being within easy reach of the hand manipulating the reed controlling keys of the accordion keyboard.

3. In a piano accordion, a plurality of aligned shutters for controlling the tone outlet from the treble reed chest, hinge rods for said shutters having arms extending therefrom, a slider member having engagement with said arms to effect swing thereof and rotation of said hinge rods for opening or closing movement of said shutters, lever means connected with said slide member for effecting sliding movement thereof, and manually operable keys connected with said lever means for actuating the same, said keys being within easy reach of the hand manipulating the reed controlling keys on the accordion keyboard, and means for yieldably holding said shutters in adjusted position.

4. In an accordion, a plurality of aligned louvres forming a. closure for the tone outlet end of the reed chest, hinge supports for said louvres, arms extending from said hinge supports, a connecting member for said arms and actuating means for said connecting member for effecting longitudinal movement thereof and swing of said arms and corresponding swing of said louvres to open or closed position.

5. In a piano accordion, a plurality of parallel louvres providing a closure for the tone outlet end of the reed chest, hinge supports for said louvres and arms extending therefrom, a connecting member for said arms, keys adjacent to the inner edge of the keyboard and shiftable axially, and means transmitting the shift of said keys to said connecting member for longitudinal movement thereof and swing of said shutters by said arms to open or closed position.

In a piano accordion, a cover for the tone outlet end of the reed chest, said cover having a tone passageway therethrougn, a plurality of louvres for said passageway, hinge supports for said louvres and actuating means thereon, an actuating member for said actuating means movable for swing of said louvres to open or closed position, control keys on said cover adjacent to the inner edge of the piano keyboard 01' the accordion, and a connection between said keys and said actuating member for controlling the operation thereof for opening or closure of said louvres.

7. In a piano accordion, a cover for the tone outlet end of the reed chest, said cover having a tone passageway therethrough, a plurality of louvres for said passageway, said louvres having hinge supports and actuating means extending therefrom, an actuating member connected with said actuating means and slidable on said cover to operate said actuating means for swing of said louvres to open or closed position, control keys on said cover adjacent to the inner edge of the piano keyboard, and means transmitting the movement of said keys to said actuating member for movement thereof for opening or closure of said louvre.

MARIO SOPRANI. 

